Performance of red pacu, Piaractus brachypomus, cultured

Performance of red pacu, Piaractus brachypomus, cultured

Performance of Red Pacu,
Piaractus brachypomus, cultured
alone or co-cultured with Chinese
Catfish, Clarius fuscus
Clyde Tamaru, RuthEllen Klinger-Bowen, Robert Howerton,
Bradley Fox, and Kathleen McGovern-Hopkins
Project Details

Contract No. 2008-201

Project Period: February
1, 2010 – May 31, 2011

Funding Level: $50,000

Support: CTSA, Maui
County, UH Sea Grant,
CTAHR, USDA, NOAA
Why pacu?
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Rapid growth
Amenable to high densities
Hardy to marginal water quality
Ability to utilize high carbohydrate/low
protein diets
Potential polyculture (tilapia, carp,
crustaceans)
High marketability as a food fish and
ornamental fish
“good sized, deep-bodied fish….they were delicious
eating.”
Theodore Roosevelt, Through the Brazilian Wilderness
Objective: Compare growth and survival in monoculture and
polyculture (e.g., Chinese catfish and red pacu) growout
trials.
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Windward Community
College facility.
Two shipments (n= 600) of
Red Pacu arrive on August
30, 2010 and October 6,
2010.
Fish are distributed into
quarantine tanks.
During month quarantine,
mortalities occurred due to
Ich parasite.
Objective: Compare growth and survival in
monoculture and polyculture (Chinese catfish and red
pacu) growout trials.

On November 11, 2010 the
polyculture of pacu and Chinese
catfish experiment was initiated.
Ten 600 gallon tanks with the
following treatments:
•
•
•
•
•
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14 pacu + 0 Chinese catfish
14 pacu + 50 Chinese catfish
14 pacu + 100 Chinese catfish
14 pacu + 200 Chinese catfish
14 pacu + 300 Chinese catfish
Pacu
Pacu avg body wgt = 88.1 grams
Chinese Catfish = 23.3 grams
Final volume in all tanks set at 300
gallons with continuous source of
freshwater and aeration.
Chinese catfish
Objective: Compare growth and survival in
monoculture and polyculture (Chinese catfish and red
pacu) growout trials.
Pacu Only Treatment
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Average body weight and
length of Chinese Catfish
(n=20) and pacu (n=7) are
obtained at monthly intervals
Five minute rule for feeding is
observed for each tank. Feed
input monitored for each tank.
Temperature, pH, DO,
Conductivity, TAN, Nitrite, and
Nitrate monitored weekly.
Compare growth and survival in monoculture and
polyculture grow-out trials. Trial ends on March 10,
2011 = 113 day ≈ 0.3 year grow-out period.
Species
Treat
Weight
(g)
Length
(mm)
CFI
(%)
100.0
125.8 a
239.2a
0.88a
6.6
Surviv
al
(%)
Biomass
(Kg/m3)
Catfish
Pacu+ 50
Catfish
Pacu+100
86.0
158.7b
252.7b
0.95b
14.4
Catfish
Pacu+200
90.6
146.2b
247.3ab
0.96b
28.0
Catfish
Pacu+300
86.0
139.7b
240.0ab
0.97b
37.9
Pacu
Pacu only
100.0
258.0a
225.9a
2.23a
3.8
Pacu
Pacu + 50
88.0
267.4a
242.2b
1.90b
3.5
Pacu
Pacu+100
89.3
256.6a
237.7ab
1.89b
3.4
Pacu
Pacu+200
96.5
225.8a
226.8a
1.93b
3.2
Pacu
Pacu+300
82.2
190.7b
219.5a
1.79b
2.3
Objective 2: Compare growth and survival in
monoculture and polyculture (e.g., Chinese catfish
and red pacu) growout trials.
Treatment
Food Conversion
Ratio
Feed Cost
of Production
Pacu only
2.45
0.08
$1.59/lb
Pacu + 50 Chinese
catfish
1.46
0.03
$0.95/lb
Pacu +100 Chinese
catfish
1.34
0.09
$0.87/lb
Pacu +200 Chinese
catfish
0.99
0.28
$0.64/lb
Pacu +300 Chinese
catfish
1.25
0.19
$0.81/lb
Nelson’s Silver Cup Trout Feed 3.5 = $0.66/lb
Objective 2: Compare growth and survival in
monoculture and polyculture (Chinese catfish and red
pacu) growout trials.

Temporal changes in body
weight
• Chinese catfish grow best at
stocking densities at or
above 100 individuals per
tank ≈ 3.3 individuals/gallon
or 2.0 kg/m3
• Pacu grow best when
cultured alone or with a
maximum stocking of
Chinese catfish at 100
individuals per tank ≈ 3.3
individuals/gallon or 2.0
kg/m3
Objective 2: Compare growth and survival
in monoculture and polyculture growout
trials.

Biomass obtained from
different stocking densities
of Chinese catfish reveals
impacts on pacu
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Highest biomass obtained
when pacu were reared
alone.
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No impacts on stocking
density were observed for
Chinese catfish that
already exceeded 30 kg/m3
Additional Inputs
Flow Through System
Daily turnover:
≈ 4.4 times/day/tank
 Ten tanks ≈ 8,360
gals/day (31,768 l/day)
 Estimated water
consumed ≈ 944,680
gallons
 Using today's Board of
Water Supply rate of
$2.79/1,000 gallons the
cost in just water is
estimated at $2,636.

Objective 2: Compare growth and survival in
monoculture and polyculture growout trials:
Aquaponic Format
Pak Choi
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March 23, 2011 fish restocked
with the following treatments:
• 20 pacu only
• 20 pacu + 100 Chinese catfish
• 50 Chinese catfish only
• 100 Chinese catfish only
• 200 Chinese catfish only
All treatments run in duplicate
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All tanks equipped with two 26
gallon ebb and flow cinder
beds with airlifts and run as
recirculating aquaponic
systems.
Some of the Plants Grown
Sweet Basil June 11, 2011
Green Onion June 11, 2011
Egg Plant Waimanalo Long
June 11, 2011
Stavia, June 11, 2011
Objective 2: Compare growth and survival in
monoculture and polyculture growout trials:
Aquaponic Format, one month duration.
Species
Treatment
Final Weight
(g)
Final Length
(mm)
CFI
Chinese
catfish
50
Individuals
244.5
295.7
0.92a
Chinese
catfish
100
Individuals
240.6
288.5
0.93a
Chinese
catfish
200
Individuals
201.8
282.6
1.99b
Chinese
catfish
100 Catfish +
20 Pacu
222.2
285.6
2.04b
Pacu
100 Catfish +
20 Pacu
392.2
269.5
0.88
Pacu
20 Pacu Only
456.4
279.4
0.97
Objective 2: Compare growth and survival in
monoculture and polyculture growout trials: Aquaponic
Format, one month duration: Water Quality Parameters
Species
Treat
Temp
(C)
DO
(ppm)
pH
Cond.
(msm/cm)
TAN
(ppm)
Nitrite
(ppm)
Nitrate
(ppm)
Catfish
50
24.7
5.85
6.0
0.3
2.7
0.4
81.2
Catfish
100
25.0
3.83
5.9
0.4
16.7
1.3
110.0
Catfish
200
24.2
4.87
6.1
0.3
4.4
0.3
73.0
Pacu
100 +
Pacu
24.9
4.68
6.0
0.4
11.4
0.6
115.0
Pacu
Pacu
Only
24.6
4.05
6.0
0.5
25.7
1.6
120.0
•
Live fish market
• N= 8
• All sold same day
• $15.00/lb